Acts chapter 3 v 7, “And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.”
Today we meditate on the miraculous healing that occurred in Acts chapter 3. As we meditate upon these wonderful scriptures our first thought should always be: Ask the Holy Spirit to teach us about these verses? What valuable insights can He impart to our spirit so that we can understand the workings of the Spirit more effectively. Why? So that I can strut around spouting off scripture after scripture to show how wonderful I am. No!
Our Heavenly Father has given us these words of truth to encourage us, to give us confidence so that when we meet those who have needs, those to whom these needs are like a mountain that they cannot overcome; we, like Peter and John, joyfully allow the power of the Holy Spirit to flow through our spirit into their lives, their bodies, their circumstances, their needs, so that He can demolish those mountains that repress them and hold them back, according to His will Hallelujah!
Remember, our Father has no favourites. We have received the same Spirit that Peter received, that the Apostle Paul received.
1 Corinthians chapter 12 V 13 says, “For by one spirit we were all baptized into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”
Hallelujah!
And so to Acts chapter 3.
Verse 1
“Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.”
Verse 2
“And a certain man, lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple.”
Peter and John encountered a man who was lame from his mother’s womb. He had never walked as a boy or man. His days were spent outside the gate of the Temple asking for alms: for food, clothing and of course coins of gold and silver. His life revolved around his infirmity. He was carried to the temple where he spent his day asking for help of any kind and then carried home at the end of the day.
Verse 3
“who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked an alms.”
Believe me, he was not the only person there looking for assistance. There could have been 50 or 100 people there, each with needs of their own, lined up along the temple walls, each clamouring and calling for help as the Jews passed by on their way into the temple. My eyes mist up with tears as I contemplate the scene.
The second that Peter and John made human contact with this man they would have been surrounded by other needy folk desperately seeking assistance.
Why did they walk past others and yet stop when this man asked for help?
I believe that Peter received a word of knowledge, a communication from the Holy Spirit that this man had faith to be healed.
Verse 4
“And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said” Look at us.”
Amidst all the pleading and tugging that would have gone on all around them as they conversed with the lame man, Peter receives a word of wisdom and speaks it out” Look at us”–don’t be listening to all the mayhem around us but focus on us and what the Holy spirit has spoken to us to speak to you.
Verse 5
“So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.”
Verse 6
“Then Peter said, “silver and gold I do not have,(a word of knowledge, spoken out to indicate that what was coming was not about coins of any description) but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
Here we have a word of wisdom that Peter could not know by his 5 senses. Only the Holy Spirit, who searches the heart knows if a person has that mustard seed of faith required to receive what our Heavenly Father has made available to us by His wonderful grace. In this instance, for this man, the promise of the Father was “Rise up and walk” by the power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Ask yourself, what goes through the mind of the lame man as he contemplates these words from the Holy Spirit, spoken by Peter?
He can either dare to believe the promise of the Father and miraculously walk or remain in his current situation: lame and at the mercy of those who carry him to the temple and those who give him alms. You might think that it is a no-brainer, but I remember a man that I was ministering to on the mission field in Dublin in 1981 who could not contemplate healing to his body because he would lose his disability payment if healed. This man dared to believe.
Verse 7
“And he took him by the right hand and lifted(him) up:”
Peter could not lift him unless the man gave him some assistance. Remember, it took more than one man to carry him to the temple. As the lame man pulled himself up with Peter’s assistance,” immediately, his feet and ankle bones received strength.” Hallelujah! Praise Him!
Verse 8
“And he leaping up stood, and walked and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God.”
What a witness of the power of the Holy Spirit.
I will leave you to ponder these miraculous happenings and reflect upon them in my next “Thought for today”.
If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and believed that the Father has raised Him from the dead, you are saved. You have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, you have received the promise of the Father, that Power from on high. The Holy Spirit can flow through you. You, like Peter, can receive words of knowledge, you can receive words of wisdom. The manifestations of Faith, Miracles, and Gifts of Healings can be imparted through you as the Father wills. Expect it, be comfortable with it, and have confidence that He will flow through you to bless those that have needs in their lives.
In the meantime, have a glorious day!